Giving thanks for a barbecued turkey

For the first time, I decided to barbecue my turkey on the outdoor grill, and it turned so good that it may be an annual event. I was forced to the barbecue because my oven is just too small for a large bird. No problem, folks.

The backyard grill handled the turkey nicely, finishing a golden-brown bird in about 3 1/2 hours. It was moist and delicious, and my guests kept commenting on this being the best turkey they've ever eaten. That's high praise because they've wolfed down a bunch of turkeys in their time.

The prep was as simple as apple pie. After rinsing out the turkey cavities, I rubbed the inside and outside of the turkey with olive oil and Italian seasoning. I put the 17-pound turkey on a rack in a large disposable aluminum pan. I placed all of this on a cookie sheet in the middle of my gas grill.

I have a four burner grill, so I only lit the two outside burners so there would be no direct heat on the turkey. I closed the lid and checked on it every hour or so. My grill has a temperature gauge on it so it was easy to monitor the approximate heat. I kept the temperature around 325 degrees. Then, all I did was check the temperature from time to time. When the internal temperature reached 165 degrees I turned off the burners. I let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving it.

Next time I'm going to brine the turkey, and use a chipotle rub on it, but for now, I'm happy knowing I have found the solution to not having a big enough oven.